The Demons We Hide
by Blackwolf-20
Summary: Even during the zombie apocalypse, people have dæmons, as well as demons that they keep from one another. After Rick had become quite comfortable with the people he's with, he now has to decide if the woman known as Michonne and her fierce dæmon can become one of them. (concept of dæmons from 'His Dark Materials')
1. Questionable Woman and Cat

**CH. 1: Questionable Woman and Cat**

 **Rick let his eyes fall on that incredible beast sitting calmly besides Michonne; A beautiful black jaguar. Together they stood on the walkway, staring out into the field of walkers that still guarded the prison. Both were as still as statues, except for the jaguar whose tail flickered at the tip every now and then. They were truly one and the same.**

 **Rick turned his eyes away and glanced down at the gray wolf by his side who was also watching the dæmon. After a beat she looked up at him.**

" **Such fierceness," she noted.**

 **He nodded.**

" **Yeah," he agreed quietly. "You think it was a bad idea to let her in here?"**

 **The wolf looked up at Michonne then turned back to him.**

" **Time will tell. We should definitely keep eyes on her."**

" **You were never one to steer me wrong Shira." He laid a hand upon her head before turning away, missing the moment when the black jaguar turned its head to watch them leave.**

 **Inside, He saw Hershel, hobbling forward on his crutches due to his one leg. Next to him, mimicking his movements, was his boar dæmon Nelly.**

" **Hershel, still holding up alright?" Rick asked while Shira inspected the boar in concern.**

" **Everything's alright with me. How's our new guest?"**

 **Rick glanced back around then dropped his head.**

" **Time will tell I guess. We still don't know her."**

" **This is a good opportunity to get to know her," Hershel advised.**

" **Yeah, maybe later."**

" **Me and Nelly agree, she's got quite a dæmon."**

" **Oh yes she does," the boar agreed while Shira perked her ears.**

" **Yeah. Hard to take your eyes off it, but keeping eyes on her is what we need to do, til we know what she's about."**

" **Nothing wrong with being careful," Hershel said gently. "Have you seen my girls?"**

 **Rick shook his head.**

" **Well, carry on," Hershel said as he moved past.**

 **Rick continued forward until he came across Daryl leaning against the outside of one of the cells. The fox circling at his feet seemed agitated. As Rick got closer he heard chuckling from inside the cell he was leaning against.**

" **Mark my words little brother."**

 **Rick came to a stop and saw Merle sitting on the cot with a grin on his face. His possum dæmon seemed equally pleased in his arm.**

" **Well if it isn't the sheriff," Merle greeted. "We were just talking about you."**

" **Something good I hope."**

" **With my brother it never is." Daryl shifted his position.**

 **Rick glanced down at Shira before looking over at Merle.**

" **Don't suppose you mind letting me in on the joke?"**

" **Not at all." Merle leaned forward and the possum jumped onto the bed, looking up at Rick.**

" **You let im' know how we feel Merle."**

" **Damn right I'll let im' know Peg." He stared up at Rick and smirked. "We were just talkin', how it's a big mistake you're letting Afro samurai in here. She could cut us all up in our sleep."**

" **I suppose the same could be said for you," Rick challenged.**

 **Merle dropped his playful expression and stood. Shira growled as did his Peggi.**

" **Oh, thinking of kicking me out, Rick?"**

" **Nobody said nothing about kicking you out," said Daryl, seemingly acting as mediator.**

" **Sit down before you fall down," the fox spoke up.**

" **Back off Lu," Merle warned her. "This between me and the sheriff."**

" **Not anymore it's not. It's done," Rick clarified. He turned away from Merle in favor of his younger brother.**

" **What do you think? About Michonne?"**

" **Don't trust her," Merle interrupted. "You get a load of that jungle cat dæmon of her's? He'll gobble up poor Peg in seconds, your wolf too."**

" **I wasn't asking you," said Rick firmly, while Shira gave a warning growl.**

 **Rick turned back to Daryl who took a moment to run the question in his head.**

" **Hard to say." He looked down at the fox who was looking up at him. After a moment, she stretched up to allow his hand to rub her head. "Me and Lu, got a good look at her, and her dæmon . Pretty serious."**

" **I know what you mean," Rick replied while placing his own hand behind his dæmon's ear. "She'll either be trouble, or an asset, we'll see."**

 **Daryl gave a nod and Rick walked away in thought.**

" **Nice to know they're all on our side," Shira muttered and Rick gave a slight smile.**

" **Yeah…but you're on my side, right?"**

 **Shira gazed at him with an expression that didn't quite make it clear, yet Rick gave a nod.**

" **Right."**

* * *

I been a bit interested in dæmons lately and 'The Walking Dead' is one of my shows. I thought there might be a dæmon story involving the characters from the show since there are so many of them, but having found none, I starting writing my own, where it's kind of centered on Michonne, inspired by the show's season return. Any how the choices for the dæmons for the characters came from searching around a couple of sites for the symbolism of certain animals and seeing which seems to fit who according to how they are or will develop later in the series. Review and I'll continue. Hopefully this will inspire others to write some Walking Dead fics crossing over with the "Golden Compass" dæmons.


	2. Dæmon Impressions

**CH 2: Dæmon Impressions**

 **Rick made his way outside, with Shira matching his stride perfectly. As he walked, he couldn't help thinking about the type of people he'd had run-ins with back when the world was in order. He wasn't one to try and judge people due to what shape their** **dæmons settled into, yet with the job of a sheriff, sometimes he had found himself doing just that when certain criminal types ended up having the same creatures.**

 **Shane had almost done it all the time. His dæmon had been a coyote. Considering the fact that Shane had lured him out to be murdered, such a dæmon shape was well suited for the man. He looked down at his own dæmon, thinking how some might mistake him as a man to be avoided because of her.**

" **Not worried are you?" she asked him. "About her dæmon."**

 **Rick looked across the courtyard to see Maggie and Beth together on the steps near one of the doors. Beth's ermine dæmon rested on her shoulder, staring down at his daughter in her arms. A small glow of light hovered around her. Being Judith was still a baby, she had no corporeal dæmon. Rick tossed his gaze out into the field where the walkers roamed, dæmon-less. Aside from the fact that they were dead bodies roaming around as though living, it had been so unsettling to see them without dæmon's. The idea still sent a shiver down his spine at times.**

" **I suppose I would be more worried, if it was just me alone," Rick confessed as he closed the space between himself and Hershel's daughters.**

" **She's not giving you guys any trouble is she?" he asked.**

" **Not at all," said Maggie.**

" **She's the sweetest thing," said Maggie's hare dæmon who stood at her feet looking up at Judith. "And in time, you'll have a sweet thing of your own."**

" **Come on Argyl," Maggie said with a roll of her eyes.**

" **He's right, so long as Glenn keeps caring for you the way he does," said Beth's ermine.**

" **I think Thaddy's right," Beth agreed. "Plus, you'll make a great mom."**

" **There'll be time for that later," Maggie declared.**

" **She's right," Rick agreed. "Can't go getting too comfortable unless we know we're really safe around here."**

" **Is something up?" Maggie asked, frowning, while her hare twitched his ears in alertness.**

" **Just wondering how people think of Michonne."**

 **The girls exchanged looks before Maggie answered.**

" **Well we don't really know her."**

" **We can get to know her," said Beth, but the ermine on her shoulder seemed to shift in discomfort. "Besides, if it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have known anything happened to you and Glenn."**

 **At that, Maggie's face fell. Rick assumed she was replaying the events of her time with the governor.**

" **Just because she delivered that information doesn't mean she's someone that can stay here," Rick countered, curious to hear their replies.**

" **True. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Or do like Beth suggested."**

" **Well, I don't think she's that popular around here. I was thinking about letting her go."**

" **We have our people to worry about, and the baby," said Shira as her eyes softened at the sight of Judith and her eventual dæmon .**

" **Isn't that a little cruel?" Beth asked. Her dæmon twitched its nose.**

" **Did you take a good look at her, and her dæmon ? I think they're more than capable of taking care of themselves," said Maggie.**

" **Her dæmon is beautiful," Beth complimented. Thadius rubbed his head under her chin in delight.**

" **And mean looking," Maggie noted, while Argyl nodded. "You don't suppose she could really be like that do you?"**

 **Rick gave a light shrug.**

" **Can't be too careful with people nowadays."**

 **Judith gave a little cry and squirmed in Beth's arms.**

" **Ready for me to take her?"**

" **We got it," Beth replied as she smiled at her ermine and headed inside.**

 **Shira gave a slight wag of her tail as she and Rick watched them leave.**

" **Guess I'll check on Carl." Rick tossed his gaze out into the field of walkers again. "I hope they're the only trouble we have to deal with."**

" **Hopefully they will be," said Maggie.**

 **He patted her shoulder while Shira gave Argyl a comforting lick on the ear. He turned and continued his journey around the prison, now in search of his son.**

 **He headed back inside to another part of their cell block where he saw Carol up above on the stairway, folding clothes. For a moment, he just stood on the lower step, gazing up at her and her dæmon , a chameleon who was balanced on her shoulder. Upon first seeing its shape, Rick was slightly taken aback as it wasn't everyday he saw a woman with a reptilian creature, especially one that could be looked at as creepy. Such dæmons usually implied something suspicious about the person, but Carol was anything but suspicious. She was the sweet, motherly type who had come a long way from being a frail woman in the background.**

 **He started up the steps with Shira keeping her eyes on the chameleon. She would always tell him to expect something interesting from Carol considering the dæmon, and his own wolf dæmon always seemed to be waiting for it.**

" **Hope you're not overwhelmed by the laundry load," Rick said in greeting. She smiled and shook her head.**

" **I like staying busy from time to time. Helps keep my mind off things."**

 **Upon hearing this, Rick wondered how often she thought of Sophia.**

" **Sure does." He rested his hands on his hips and decided to just get to the point of his visit. "What do you think of Michonne?"**

 **Carol looked up at him as though taken aback by the question, but at the same time she seemed to expect it.**

" **Well, I can't really say Rick. Do you think she's dangerous?"**

" **I been asking around, gage how people feel about her."**

" **I take it we're all a little unsure," Carol stated. Rick's eyes flickered momentarily to the chameleon. "She has a pretty powerful dæmon."**

" **Doesn't really go unnoticed," Rick agreed.**

" **Which is why we shouldn't show ourselves too strongly before him," said her dæmon as he shifted across to her other shoulder.**

" **Ronin thinks she could be a formidable foe with a jaguar," Carol explained.**

" **A gun vs. a katana pretty much says it all," Rick stated.**

" **I could take that cat if I had to," said Shira.**

" **Maybe no one will have to," said Carol. "She might turn out to be alright, and just the kind of person we need around here."**

" **Really?"**

" **Yes really Rick." She turned away from him in favor of folding more clothes. "I've had moments where I was judged, when Ronin settled. I didn't exactly gain popularity due to lacking a fluffy bunny or Pomeranian. I let that shame me for a while, especially when I was married to Ed. But not anymore."**

 **The chameleon seemed to raise its head in pride at her words, and Carol looked a lot more confident.**

" **You know what they say about appearances," Rick noted.**

" **Deceiving," said Carol, "or can be. But, with the way the world is now, I don't think we can afford to start dividing ourselves based on preconceptions."**

 **He gave a nod as she picked up her basket of folded laundry and headed downstairs while her chameleon stared back at him.**

 **He looked away and thought of the past issues between Merle and T-dog when he was alive. Merle's prejudice beliefs had resulted in him being cuffed and eventually losing a hand. It was a fair example of karma he thought, and it made him wonder if he would somehow have to pay for having judgmental thoughts about a person he didn't quite know yet.**

" **There's no crime in being careful Rick," Shira said as she nuzzled up against his leg. Rick crouched before her and bowed his head.**

" **No, no crime in trying to keep the family safe."**

* * *

I thought of giving Carol a fox also, but jumped to chameleon considering how well she blended into Alexandria. She's become the kind of person you might not notice, even before she became the way she did. Actually I'd did make a list of possible dæmons for the people appearing in this story. It won't be everyone, as it's going to be a small story. Well Rick and Shira are still going around seeing what people think.

Review and I'll update soon.


	3. When it's Settled

**CH 3: When it's Settled**

 **Rick found Carl when he looked up at the watchtower. He was leaning forward over the rail staring out in the distance while Glenn stood next to him, talking. After a moment Glenn looked down and waved, and Rick waved back.**

" **Any sign of trouble?!" Rick called up.**

" **None so far!" Glenn yelled back.**

 **Rick gave a nod as Glenn turned to make his way down. Carl stayed where he was looking pensive from where Rick could tell.**

 **Glenn walked over to him, his brown Capuchin monkey dæmon trailing behind him. When the man came to a stop, the dæmon easily scaled his body like a tree and hopped atop his shoulder.**

" **I don't mind taking over the watch, and giving you guys a break."**

" **Actually I spotted Carl up there and thought I'd keep him company," Glenn explained. "I think he's feeling, out of sorts."**

" **What do you mean?"**

 **Glenn looked away, leaving Rick to wonder if he was just trying to figure out how to say it or how to avoid saying it.**

" **Go on Glenn," his little dæmon piped up. "We've gone through this ourselves once."**

" **Right Sungo. I guess he's kind of troubled with his dæmon."**

 **Rick looked up to see the red-tailed hawk perched on the rail next to his son. Her sharp gaze was directed in the same way as Carl's. Shira was also looking up, exhibiting Rick's concern for them.**

" **I'll have a chat with him."**

" **Yeah, I tried talking to him. Don't think I really got through."**

" **Parenthood's a little more involved," Rick declared. For a fraction of a minute he thought of Lori.**

" **Right, but anytime you need me for something, I'll do what I can." Glenn started to walk away, but Rick stopped him.**

" **Actually there is. You can give me your opinion on our new inmate."**

" **Wha, you mean Michonne?" Rick nodded and Glenn shifted on the spot. "I'd take her over Merle."**

" **I figured you'd say that, but that means losing Daryl."**

" **Yeah…sucks," said Sungo as she leaned forward.**

" **We might end up losing Merle and Peggi, if they ever go at each other," Shira said aloud, earning a partially annoyed look from Rick.**

" **I would pay to see them battle it out," said Sungo mischievously.**

 **Glenn smirked as he held back a laugh while Rick ignored to two joking dæmons.**

" **Anyways, what's your feelings on her?"**

 **Glenn gave a sigh.**

" **I know a lot of the group feel kind of, weird about her, but, I think she could help us."**

" **She is handy with that sword of hers." Rick tossed his gaze up at Carl once more. "I better deal with this."**

 **Glenn gave him an encouraging smile as Rick headed up the watchtower.**

" **Got a plan?" Shira asked as they drew in closer.**

" **Just go by ear," he muttered.**

 **As he approached, Carl didn't stir.**

" **Don't spot any trouble out there do you?" Rick asked as he took Glenn's place against the railing. Shira moved to Rick's other side to be closer to Carl's dæmon who also didn't take notice of their arrival.**

" **No," Carl said after a minute. He kept a steady forward gaze. Rick followed it and released a sigh.**

" **I know things can get kind of, difficult and stressful around here, but if something's wrong I really need you to tell me. We can't do things alone, not in this world."**

 **He looked to see if his words were registering while Shira stood on her hind legs and rested her paws on the rail to address the hawk.**

" **Kairi, you know I'm here for you. We've always been a team, all of us. Is something going on with you?" The hawk shifted slightly but didn't break her gaze. "I can help. We can."**

" **Carl?" Rick prodded.**

 **Carl leaned away from the railing just as the hawk took to the air. It swooped and landed on Carl's shoulder as a mouse. Shira lowered herself back to the floor and stared up at it.**

" **I don't know," Carl finally confessed. "I just…it's frustrating sometimes. Especially…I mean Kairi is…"**

" **We want to mature," Kairi spoke up. "We need to."**

 **Rick crouched over the railing as he discovered a semblance of the issue. He remembered going through a similar phase when Shira was still unsettled. There had been a point where he couldn't wait for it to happen; as if her settling would show him who he truly was as a man. In his early years, Shira had bounded after him as a dog most of the time, then even a hawk like Carl's had been.**

 **Rick looked down at her and thought about how happy he'd been when she settled as a wolf. But he soon learned that it didn't mean he didn't possess other qualities, or some weaknesses. He looked out at the walkers roaming below. He couldn't imagine how different it was now for kids to grow up in this world. They had to be ready to survive and fight. He wondered if such a change in the world also inspired them to want to quickly grow up to handle it.**

" **You don't need to, at least not now," Shira insisted. "Just be patient."**

" **We've been patient enough."**

" **I want to be better," Carl said as he finally broke his gaze and looked back at Rick who laid a hand on his shoulder.**

" **You already are. A settled dæmon's not going to change that. It means you've come into your own, but it doesn't mean this world's gonna get any easier for you. If anything I envy you."**

 **Kairi crawled down halfway, then jumped and landed on the floor as an ocelot who faced Shira with a swaying tail. Shira nosed the cat in comfort.**

" **Silly girl, this is the time of your youth, you should be enjoying it," Shira told her.**

" **Why?" Carl asked his father.**

" **Because, you're still young. Even though you've had to take on some tough responsibilities, you haven't had to do the things I've done, or rather, will have to do. When such times come, I think you'll be ready then. It'll all be settled." Carl bowed his head for a moment. "Guess it's just a natural desire to want to grow up fast. I wanted to also."**

 **Carl gave a nod while Rick turned his attention to the ocelot who was pawing at Shira. After a moment, Shira curled around her.**

" **What do you think she'll be?" Carl asked as he looked down at her.**

" **Whatever she becomes, doesn't matter," he said as he patted his back.**

" **Maybe she'll be like mom's," Carl said after a pause.**

 **Rick smiled softly as he thought of his late wife. Her dæmon had been a roebuck. How he missed his time with Lori. He missed talking with her and watching as a younger Carl ran about in their front yard, pretending to chase Kairi in various forms. He glanced down at Shira who met his eyes and knew she was thinking about the times she had frolicked around and snuggled with Lori's dæmon Barlow.**

" **Maybe," said Rick. "Or maybe, that'll be Judith's dæmon."**

" **Those things make it harder," Carl muttered as he looked back at the walkers.**

" **Yeah, a flying dæmon would make it easier."**

 **As if on cue, the ocelot jumped up, instantly shifting back into her hawk form, and landed on the rails.**

" **But," Rick continued, "either way, we all still have to prepare. And most of us don't have birds."**

" **A wolf is much cooler," Shira said as she stretched up to the railing again. Both Carl and Rick laughed.**

 **They stood in comfortable silence for a moment, before Rick thought about bringing up Michonne to gage his son's thoughts on her, however, he didn't want to break the moment between them.**

" **Well, I'll leave you to it."**

 **He turned, ready to head back down.**

" **What do you think of her?" Carl suddenly asked. Rick turned back around and Shira twitched her ears.**

" **Michonne?"**

" **Yeah."**

 **Rick moved back over to him.**

" **I been asking around, seeing how people feel."**

" **And?"**

" **So far, no one's really sure what to think, except maybe Merle. I'm not quite sure what to think."**

 **Carl gave a nod and began stroking Kairi's feathery wings.**

" **What kind of person do you have to be, to have your dæmon settle as a jaguar?" he questioned.**

 **Rick thought about it for a minute.**

" **The kind you have to watch out for…or maybe the kind we need." He straightened up. "Suppose it's time to find out."**

" **I think it'd be pretty cool if Kairi was a jaguar," Carl stated as he looked out across the field.**

" **Certainly would draw attention," Rick answered. He gave him a pat on the back before turning to head down. "Watch yourself up here."**

 **Once Rick reached the ground, he set his destination for Michonne, but Shira came to a stop. He looked around and saw her gazing up at the watchtower.**

 **He too looked up to see that Kairi had shifted into a wolf not unlike Shira. He smiled as he watched Carl scratch her behind the ear much like he did for his own wolf.**

* * *

Glenn's dæmon's name was based on the name Seung which according to a site means "rise" "ascent", like how Glenn's character seemed to rise. As for Carl, I wanted his dæmon to still be unsettled, this way we see the spectrum of someone with a settled dæmon, someone like Judith with a dæmon unformed, and someone whose dæmon was unsettled. I also kind of think Carl comes more into his own around the Alexandria time or a bit before that. So here, he's not yet mature. I think in the book dæmons settle when they hit puberty. I can't recall how old Car is when he was at the prison but either way I didn't want his dæmon settled yet.

Like I said this is a short story and I'm kind of hoping to wrap it up next chapter. So keep reading and reviewing.


	4. Inner Demons

**Ch: 4 Inner Demons**

 **Rick returned inside and came across the area where he had laid the unconscious Michonne after seeing her attempt to defend herself against the approaching walkers. Carl asked if they should help her, but for a minute, all Rick could do was watch the pair take them on with their last ounce of strength. While she had swung her sword, taking off heads, her black jaguar dæmon had pounced on the ones she didn't get, cracking through skulls with ease with his sharp claws.**

 **He dropped a quick glance down at Shira at the time and saw she too seemed stunned. Throughout all their battles with walkers, Rick had often advised her to stay back in most cases. It was far too easy for a walker to take out a dæmon. He had seen it, so battle with these things had to be careful in order to preserve oneself. But upon seeing this mysterious woman and her dæmon working together perfectly, despite their exhaustion, he was amazed.**

 **Rick approached the cell, having been drawn by a feeling, and found Michonne sitting at one of the tables, her dæmon sitting still at her feet. She appeared to be staring boldly into space with a hard look on her face, and the big cat copied it. Rick looked down at Shira before entering.**

 **He walked up to her, not quite certain how to start this. But then he decided on a simple question.**

" **Got any plans now that you're better?" He came to a stop not too far away from her. She took a moment before answering, but she didn't look at him.**

" **Kicking me out?" she asked evenly.**

" **Just curious of what your plans were."**

 **She rolled his response around in her head a bit.**

" **I have no plans, other than surviving."**

 **Rick wasn't sure he liked the hard edge in her tone. He looked down at Shira who was watching her dæmon intently.**

" **We've established a good home here," she told the jaguar. "And we've fought a lot of battles, like I'm sure you have as well."**

 **Her dæmon didn't so much as look at his wolf.**

" **What do you plan on doing?" Shira continued.**

 **Still he said nothing.**

" **Surviving, that's the plan," Michonne answered for him. Finally she looked around at them, taking a moment to study the wolf before raising her eyes to Rick. "I know you're curious about me. Not sure what I'll do. I have no intention of hurting you or your people."**

 **Rick gave an off-handed nod.**

" **Well, that's always good to hear." He walked over to a table and sat down, still keeping some distance between them. "You're a good fighter. How'd you get so good with that sword?"**

" **Practice," she said simply.**

 **Rick nodded as he tried to think of a way to gage more without the chance of offending her.**

" **Look, I-"**

" **You don't have to say it," she interrupted. "I know your people are uncomfortable with me. If you want me gone, I'll go."**

 **Rick leaned back, not expecting her to bring up his idea of letting her go.**

 **After sitting in silence for a bit the jaguar, catching Rick's attention, stood and padded over to her other side, further away from Shira.**

" **You've got quite a dæmon," Rick complimented. At that, he was surprised to see her actually give a hint of a smile. She looked at the jaguar who had perked up as though ready to finally pay attention to Rick and Shira.**

" **Bashir surprised everyone when he settled. Me most of all."**

 **Rick found her words interesting.**

" **Oh?"**

" **At times I didn't think I had it in me, to deserve someone like Bashir."**

" **You've had it in you your whole life," Bashir said, speaking for the first time. She dropped a hand affectionately on his head.**

" **This world brought it out of me even more."**

 **Rick gave a light smile as he dropped a hand on his own dæmon's head.**

" **I've had a few moments where I felt I didn't deserve Shira."**

" **You're too much," Shira said happily.**

" **Companions count for a lot, human and dæmon," Michonne stated.**

" **So does family, which is what I've got here," Rick added. "I take it you've had a family?"**

 **Her face fell and her hand dropped from the jaguar's head.**

" **I lost them," she said bitterly.**

" **I'm sorry."**

 **Michonne stared hard at the floor.**

" **I take it you've lost people too."**

" **I don't think there's anyone who hasn't," Rick said quietly. He noticed her watching him as though waiting for him to share, but he wasn't about to do that with someone who was still a stranger. Shira licked his hand in comfort. "Look, I get you might not be willing to share things with us right off the bat. The things we've lost, the things we've done."**

" **It's everyone's story," said Michonne, somewhat darkly. "We all have dæmons, and inner demons as well."**

" **And if you're not careful, you can go crazy," Rick said slowly as his eyes dropped as he thought of his temporary fall from reality after losing Lori. He looked back at Michonne who was watching him carefully. "I asked around, trying to see how my group felt about you. No one's quite sure, to be honest, but at least they haven't turned down the idea of you not leaving."**

" **I think we could use a dæmon with your strength," Shira said to Bashir. To her surprise, he stood and padded up to her, then gave a slight bow.**

" **We'll be happy to help in any way we can."**

" **Really," Rick said, not expecting his cooperation.**

" **Really." He turned to face Michonne. "I think we've had enough of being on our own, don't you?"**

 **She closed her eyes briefly before nodding.**

" **After my last companion, I don't think I can do it alone anymore," she admitted.**

 **Shira looked up at Rick who stood.**

" **Then I guess you won't have to," he told Michonne who met his eyes slowly. "We'll just take it slow."**

 **She nodded as she began stroking the jaguar along the neck.**

" **When you're ready, you can meet my family, properly."**

 **When she didn't respond he turned and decided to give her a moment to collect herself and her thoughts.**

" **You have a strong dæmon yourself Rick," she told him.**

" **And you have a strong willpower," Rick replied. He looked back at her, but her attention was focused on the big cat who was now nuzzling her leg. Together Rick and Shira walked away from the scene.**

" **I like him," Shira admitted after a moment.**

" **So, you think they might be able to become one of us?" Rick asked.**

" **I have a feeling they already are," she answered, causing Rick to smile and scratch her ear.**

* * *

I think it would've been nice to show how humans and dæmons worked together when facing walkers, and exploring other things with dæmons, but this was meant to be a little piece of The Walking Dead universe with dæmons in it. If anyone ever wanted to work dæmons into the show, an easy way to do it is follow an episode. I did once read a dæmon fic under another genre that did it and it was great, but sadly incomplete. I think there's opportunities to combine other elements in The Walking Dead, like people having certain powers, or pokemon, which would be interesting, lol.

Anyways, glad you enjoyed it.


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